Day 8

I want to share with you something from the journal I'm using for our fast:

"Can you imagine what it must have been like to Adam or Eve, walking with our glorious God in the peace of the garden? Tragedy of tragedies-they chose to give up that glorious place for something to eat! Fasting prepares the way for God to communicate clearly with you, to give you fresh revelations, fresh visions, and clear purpose. You are already past the seventh day. Do not grow weary. Stay the course; finish the race. An incredible reward awaits you on the other side."

As I was reading Jentezen's words, the thought came to me that this fast is more than about you and me.  It's more than just us getting closer to God for ourselves and seeing miracles in our own lives, although that WILL HAPPEN!  Yet, this fast is also about others. The reward will be to see others that we know, or will come to know this year, who have been affected because of our willingness to fast and pray.

"Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops." James 5:17 

Were those crops just for Elijah?  I don't think so.  Elijah's obedience and sacrifice caused others to be motivated to serve God, caused weather patterns to change, and caused God's blessing to rain down on the earth, producing relief for a drought stricken nation.

Question: Who's going to be blessed by your obedience?

Day 7 (or 3 for some)

Whether you're doing the Daniel Fast (DF), a full fast, or fasting a specific item or activity, we have to remember that it's more about Him than it is about us!  In the early days of our fasting, it's so easy to get distracted by the action itself of denying ourselves. However, we need to focus on what we're gaining as well! I would encourage you to read the comments on Day Two from Amy Riccio about her testimony on day 5. Let's rejoice in what God is doing and look forward to what He is about to do. Share your testimonies along the way as well.

Jesus said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." (Matthew 5:6) Fasting helps separate what we want from what we need. It causes us to focus on the things that matter instead of the things that distract.

Practical Stuff for Daniel Fasters

I know, it's been a few days since I last posted, but I've been scavenging my pantry and fridge for something to eat!! Seriously, I wanted to put this short post in to open up the discussion for those of us on the Daniel Fast. Others are doing various types of fasting, which I am so grateful for. 

For DF's I found a treasure yesterday. I LOVE peanut butter, it's my weakness. Peter Pan Crunchy on Mrs. Baird's White Loaf w/ apricot preserves is my downfall. Joni went to the Grocery store last night and came home with a prize: Smuckers Organic Peanut Butter!  For even the most strict Daniel Fasters, here's the ingredients: peanuts, less than 1% salt. Isn't that awesome!! It tastes just like the ingredients say, but it's so good with bananas or just from the spoon.

If you have a recipe, a good alternative, or a good find, let us know by commenting to this post!

Day Two

Happy New Year!  I didn't realize just how addicted to sugar and sweets and meat I was until last evening when my head felt like it was about to explode from the overload of the "Holidaze"!  Usually, you start feeling the physical effects of withdrawl in a fast about day 2 or 3, but I guess I overdid it on New Years Eve. I hope you're faring better than I.

I wanted to remind you at the beginning that it's easy to get focused right now on what you "can and can't" eat or drink. According to Isaiah 58, it's not as much about the food as it is about the heart. Taken to extremes, you can say, "I don't even need to fast!", but the real matter is that you are denying yourself something because you want something else more.  What is that something else?  That's between you and Jesus. However, the "something" we all need to have at the heart of our fast is to be close to HIM.  I want to say with the Psalmist:

"O God, You are my God; 

Early (in this year) will I seek You; 

My soul thirsts for You; 

My flesh longs for You 

In a dry and thirsty land 

Where there is no water." 

Psalm 63:1

Let us see breakthrough in our own hearts as well as in our families, our churches, and our neighborhoods.

For more basic information on the Daniel Fast, click HERE to go to Jentezen Franklin's web page on the subject.

The Daniel Fast

Welcome to the official blog of New Day Church's 21-day Daniel Fast.  If you are reading this, it's probably because you have chosen to set your heart with ours towards Jesus at the beginning of 2009. If you haven't yet decided, I only have one question for you, "What have you got to lose?" Well, I'm hoping to lose a lot more than a few flabby pounds. I want to lose my pride, my self-centeredness, and a few other things along the way! Let's lose some stuff together. How about it?

The purpose of this blog is to provide encouragement and a place to share prayer requests as well as answers to prayer. So I'm counting on you to post comments on your progress and share with others, who you may not even know, about what God is doing in your life during this next 21 days. I'll do my best to post every 1-2 days a verse or comment from Jentezen Franklin's fasting journal, or just to tell you how Joni and I are doing on our fasting journey.

I look forward to seeing the breakthrough that Isaiah 58 promises when we set our hearts to fast and pray and do righteous acts along the way.

Blessings!